AT the heart of any great pub, is a strong and dedicated team.

The Gun Pub in Bowers Gifford, near Pitsea, has a loyal team of staff, many of whom have been working there for more than a decade.

Lynne and Masaab Mohseni have been running the 200-year-old pub for 11 years.

It is Lynne who is a constant presence in the pub and her commitment has created the lovely atmosphere which customers enjoy today.

“We have a fantastic team, and they really are a second family to me,” says Lynne.

Serving on the bar there is Jo Taylor, Katrina Ludlow, Matthew Webb, Elizabeth Savill, Kieran Vere, Claire Rowe, Lewis Taylor and students Sam Stowe, Teigan, Molly, Lilly, and Jack.

In the kitchen can be found Jared Roberts and Adam Wood.

“In a lot of places the staff come and go, but Jared, for example, has been here ten years, Jo has been here for ten years and Adam for four years,” explains Lynne.

“We offer cross training across all areas of the business. They have HIT training, which offers training and apprenticeships for the UK’s hospitality and catering industry.”

The Gun Pub has a zero tolerance policy on drugs:

“There is a level of respect here and people do not cross it. We have tables of people in their mid twenties next to people in sixties and they all chat together,” says Lynne.

“It is the people who run the pub who set what’s acceptable, and it’s down to us to make sure it is a family-friendly pub.” The venue can be hired for special events such as weddings, parties, wakes and memorial events.

Lynne says: “There is no choosing from a book, every event we do is unique to the person. We don’t charge extra because it’s a wedding, we think everyone should have their special day.

The pub has pizza nights, they served homemade burgers, fish pie, steak and ale pie and much more.

Visit www.thegunpub.co.uk